Nicolas Lunven and Rosalin Kuiper, an Expert and a Talent United for an Ever More Ambitious Holcim-PRB Project
14 septembre 2024
Skippers
After finishing second in the last edition of The Ocean Race, Team Holcim-PRB is strengthening its roster with the arrival of a great offshore racing expert, Frenchman Nicolas Lunven, and talented Dutch sailor Rosalin Kuiper. The duo will sail under the Holcim-PRB colors to share the Go Circular message, aimed at promoting a more sustainable lifestyle. Nicolas Lunven will carry the ambitions of the Holcim-PRB project as the skipper for the 2024 Vendée Globe, while Rosalin Kuiper will accompany him as co-skipper, continuing to gain offshore experience with the ambition of leading the Swiss team in The Ocean Race Europe in 2025. With this unique and innovative project, Holcim-PRB reaffirms its long-term commitment to competitive sailing. Performance and knowledge transfer will form the foundation of a team that aims to place collaboration at the heart of success, sharing a strong message in favor of the environment.
Nicolas Lunven has always expressed his desire to participate in one of the most demanding solo races: the Vendée Globe. With his exceptional offshore racing background, he possesses all the necessary qualities to achieve high results in the round-the-world race. This is a dream coming true for the sailor, whose expertise is recognized by his peers. He has distinguished himself by winning the challenging Solitaire du Figaro twice (2009, 2017) and by participating three times in The Ocean Race alongside some of the world's greatest sailors (Iker Martinez, Dee Caffari, Boris Hermann). While he is already focused on the significant challenge ahead, Nicolas Lunven is excited to be at the helm of one of the fastest and most reliable IMOCA boats. 'It is obviously an immense honor. The Vendée Globe is becoming a reality for me, and with Holcim-PRB, we are aligned in our ambitions. The challenge is great, but we will do everything possible to write the best chapter we can for this Vendée Globe,' explains Nicolas, who also keeps in mind that PRB is the only partner to have had its name on the top step of the podium twice (2001 with Michel Desjoyeaux and 2005 with Vincent Riou). Nicolas Lunven's first race under the Holcim-PRB colors will be the transatlantic Retour à la Base, which qualifies for the Vendée Globe. Until then, the skipper will be involved in the boat's refit and will sail to Martinique in early November alongside his co-skipper, Rosalin Kuiper, who is also joining the team.
Rosalin Kuiper has participated in numerous races, including the Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race, the Fastnet Race, the Middle Sea Race, and the Caribbean 600. In the 2021 edition of The Ocean Race Europe, she sailed aboard the VO65 AzkoNobel. She joined Team Malizia to participate in The Ocean Race 2022-2023, becoming the only woman to sail in all stages of this round-the-world race, establishing herself as an emerging talent in the IMOCA world. With this experience, she is eager to continue strengthening her skills by learning from Nicolas’s expertise in weather, training, and performance.
For Rosalin Kuiper, joining Team Holcim-PRB is an incredible opportunity: 'All my experiences aboard the IMOCA boats have only strengthened my desire to evolve in this field. It’s great that my guide on this journey is someone as experienced as Nicolas. I’m on a mission in the coming years to be an ambassador for the Ocean and to promote diversity in offshore racing. Last year, I sailed around the world with Nicolas aboard Team Malizia in The Ocean Race, and I’m very excited to share this new adventure with him. We get along very well, and he is one of the best sailors I have sailed with. We will form a strong team to prepare for his Vendée Globe, and I am very excited to take on the role of skipper starting in 2025 for The Ocean Race Europe.'
'Nicolas is a fantastic young sailor and incredibly eager to learn and grow. I have seen her progress during our collaboration in Team Malizia, and she is truly a sailor who can perform well. We will work closely together on this new adventure, and I hope to pass on my knowledge of routing and weather to help her become an excellent skipper by 2025. We get along very well, and it’s fantastic to start this project together within Team Holcim-PRB.'
With expert Nicolas Lunven and talented Rosalin Kuiper, Team Holcim-PRB is committed to a long-term vision. The busy race program in 2024 and the major crewed events in the following years will provide Nicolas and Rosalin with great opportunities to express their passion and commitment.